gaspings and moanings. The day broke. The nabob had slept off his debauch, and permitted the door to be opened; but it was some time before the soldiers could make a lane for the survivors, by piling up on each side the heaps of corpses on which the burning climate had already begun to do its loathsome work. When, at length, a passage was made, twenty-three ghastly figures, such as their own mothers would not have known, came forth alive. A pit was instantly dug the dead bodies, a hundred and twentythree in number, were flung into it promiscuously, and covered up.

Historical Essays.

MISCELLANEOUS.

I.

In order to make a dinner go off well, a good deal often depends upon the giver's mode of receiving his company. In the first place, he should always be ready; he should receive cordially, so as to let his guests feel inspired by an air of welcome; and he should set them well off together by the introduction of suitable topics. It is usually seen that the host receives his guest almost as if they were strangers to him, and after a word or two, leaves them to manage for themselves as well as they can, by wandering about or turning over books, or some resource of that sort, if they happen not to be well known to some of the company; and even persons who are in the habit of meeting, often seem to be actuated by a feeling of mutual reserve, for want of being well started by the host. It frequently requires some time after the dinner has commenced, to take off the chill of the first assembling, and in respect to individuals, it sometimes never is taken off during the whole party. During dinner it is expedient for the head of the feast to keep his eye upon every

thing around him, and not to occupy himself exclusively, as many do, with those immediately near, or, what is worse, to sink into fits of abstraction or anxiety. The alacrity and general attention of the host furnish the spring from which the guests usually take their tone, and where they are not well known to each other, it is good to address each frequently by name, and to mention subjects on which they have some common interest. There is also much tact required in calling into play diffident or reserved merit, and in preventing too much individual monopoly of conversation, however good. In order to have perfect success, the guests must be capable of being well mixed up together, and the host must be capable of mixing them, which unfortunately few are; but many are much more capable than they appear to be, if they would turn their attention to the subject. These latter observations are more applicable to large parties than to small ones, but they do apply to both.

I have now come to the conclusion of what occurs to me on the subject of Aristology, or the Art of Dining and giving dinners, which subject the reader will perceive I have treated in the most familiar, and perhaps too careless a way. I have written off-hand, as matter suggested itself from the stores of experience. I have always advanced what I thought to be right, without the slightest fear of being sometimes wrong; and I have given myself no thought as to exposure to ridicule, or anything else. My object is in this, as in every other subject on which I touch, to set my readers to think in the right track, and to direct them in their way as well as I can. I consider what I have said on the Art of Dining to be a part of my observations on the Art of Health, which subject I shall continue under the latter title in my next number.

Walker's Original.

II.

As a wolf was lapping at the head of a running brook, he spied a stray lamb paddling, at some distance, down the stream. Having made up his mind to seize her, he bethought himself how he might justify his violence. "Villain!" said he, running up to her, "how dare you muddle the water that I am drinking?" "Indeed," said the lamb, humbly, "I do not see how I can disturb the water, since it runs from you to me, not from me to you." "Be that as it may,' replied the wolf, "it was but a year ago that you called me many ill names." "Oh, sir!" said the lamb, trembling, "a year ago I was not born." "Well," replied the wolf, "if it was not you, it was your father, and that is all the same; but it is no use trying to argue me out of my supper; "-and without another word he fell upon the poor helpless lamb and tore her to pieces.

A tyrant never wants a plea. And they have little chance of resisting the injustice of the powerful whose only weapons are innocence and reason.

Esop's Fables, James's Translation.

III.

It was an old custom among sailors to carry about with them little Maltese lap-dogs, or monkeys, to amuse them on the voyage; so it happened once upon a time that a man took with him a monkey as a companion on board ship. While they were off Sunium, the famous promontory of Attica, the ship was caught in a violent storm, and being capsized, all on board were thrown in the water, and had to swim for land as best they could. And among them was the monkey. A dolphin saw him struggling, and, taking him for a man, went to his assistance, and bore him on his back

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straight for shore. When they had just got opposite Piræus, the harbour of Athens, the dolphin asked the monkey "If he were an Athenian ?" "Yes," answered the monkey, assuredly, and of one of the first families in the place." "Then of course, you know Piræus," said the dolphin. "Oh, yes," said the monkey, who thought it was the name of some distinguished citizen," he is one of my most intimate friends." Indignant at so gross a deceit and falsehood, the dolphin dived to the bottom, and left the lying monkey to his fate.

Esop's Fables, James's Translation.

IV.

A certain wealthy patrician, intending to treat the Roman people with some theatrical entertainment, publicly offered a reward to any one who would produce a novel spectacle. Incited by emulation, artists arrived from all parts to contest the prize, among whom a well-known witty mountebank gave out that he had a new kind of entertainment that had never yet been produced on any stage. This report being spread abroad, brought the whole city together. The theatre could hardly contain the number of spectators. And when the artist appeared alone upon the stage, without any apparatus, or any assistants, curiosity and suspense kept the spectators in profound silence. On a sudden he thrust down his head into his bosom, and mimicked the squeaking of a young pig, so naturally, that the audience insisted upon it that he had one under his cloak, and ordered him to be searched; which being done, and nothing appearing, they loaded him with the most extravagant applause.

A countryman among the audience observing what passed, "Oh!" says he, "I can do better than this; and immediately gave out that he would perform the next day. Accordingly on the morrow, a yet greater crowd was

collected. Prepossessed, however, in favour of the mountebank, they came rather to laugh at the countryman than to pass a fair judgment on him. They both came out upon the stage. The mountebank grunts away first, and calls forth the greatest clapping and applause. Then the countryman, pretending that he concealed a little pig under his garments (and he had, in fact, really got one) pinched its ear till he made it squeak. The people cried out that the mountebank had imitated the pig much more naturally, and hooted to the countryman to quit the stage; but he, to convict them to their face, produced the real pig from his bosom. "And now, gentlemen, you may see," said he, "what a pretty sort of judges you are!"

It is easier to convince a man against his senses than against his will.

Esop's Fables, James's Translation.

V.

In the days of old, when the frogs were all at liberty in the lakes, and had grown quite weary of following every one his own devices, they assembled one day together, and with no little clamour petitioned Jupiter to let them have a king to keep them in better order, and make them lead honester lives. Jupiter, knowing the vanity of their hearts, smiled at their request, and threw down a log into the lake, which by the splash and commotion it made, sent the whole commonwealth into the greatest terror and amazement. They rushed under the water and into the mud, and dared not come within ten leaps' length of the spot where it lay. At length one frog bolder than the rest ventured to pop his head above the water, and take a survey of their new king at a respectful distance. Presently, when they perceived the log lie stock-still, others began to swim up to it and around it; till by degrees, growing bolder and bolder, they